Follow a Museum Day on Twitter becomes Internet phenomenon

by Sean McLachlan on

Today’s prize for obscure made-up celebrations goes to Jim Richardson, organizer of “Follow a Museum Day on Twitter”, which was celebrated Feb. 1 all over the Internet. According to the folks over at Culture24 it was the hottest topic that day, shoving aside a scandal involving the captain of England’s football team and the release of the iPad as the most popular subject tweeted in the UK, US, and Canada.

No longer content with traditional methods of research and education, museums are reaching out by getting Internet savvy and keeping visitors up-to-date via flashy websites and Twitter. Travel writer and Italy expert Angela Nickerson points out that hundreds of museums are on Twitter and gives five reasons to follow them. She also has a good list of more than a hundred personal favorites. Richardson has a list by country on his website.

Following museums is a great way to find out about the latest events, and you can check while traveling with your mobile phone. For example, recent additions to the British Museum’s Twitter feed tell you about intriguing artifacts from the museum’s collection, an upcoming film screening, and links to other UK museums.

Unlike some Twitter feeds, museums tend to only put out quality information. You won’t hear what the curator had for breakfast or how bored the guards are at work. These are the kinds of feeds that can make Twitter useful rather than a massive time waster. You can find out more by logging onto Twitter and checking out #followamuseum.

Man arrested for Twitter bomb threat at Robin Hood Airport

by Scott Carmichael on

In what is probably the world’s first Twitter airport bomb threat, a 26 year old man has been arrested when he joked about blowing his airport “sky high”.

Paul Chambers was stuck at Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport (yes seriously – that is its name) during the nasty snow storms that hit the UK last week.

When it became clear that the snow could delay his flight, he tweeted the following:

“‘Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high”

Police were alerted to the Tweets, and Mr. Chambers was arrested. He was held under UK anti-terror laws, and locked up for seven hours.

He was eventually released on bail, and will have to appear in court on February 11th. Worst of all (for him), he has been banned for life from Robin Hood airport and has been suspended from his job. All because of a harmless tweet.

According to police, it is all because of “the world we live in”. Apparently that new world is one where people making jokes on Twitter can be considered terrorists. So, next time your airline pisses you off, be careful what you say on Twitter!

Four Twitter deals for Valentine’s Day getaways

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You may not be able to say how you feel in 140 characters or less, but you sure can get leads on the best Valentine’s Day experience that way. So, instead of tweeting a feeling, use the white-hot social media platform to grab the top travel specials for the most romantic day of the year. Several resorts are running Twitter-only Valentine’s Day specials this year, so follow the right people, and you’ll be able to wow your better half this year.

1. @BalHarbourFL

ONE Bal Harbour, a five-star luxury property in Florida, is offering a savings of up to $800 a night through its “Tweeterhearts” package. Follow @BalHarbourFL and look for the package that has a room rate of only $1,335 a night for three nights, champagne in your room upon arrival, a couples spa treatment in a private beachside cabana and a romantic dinner for two at 1 Bleu.

2. @FairmontNewport
Look for a room rate of $199 a night at the Fairmont Newport with its “Twitter-patter” package. You’ll stay in a junior suite, enjoy breakfast on your private balcony and receive plush robes adorned with the names of you and your guest (perfect for Twitter nerds like @tjohansmeyer and his wife, mommy-blogger, @ljpimberton — I’m seriously kicking this around, just for the robes). Other amenities, from high-speed internet access to valet parking and champagne are covered, as well. And, the window is wide: you can stay from the beginning of February through the end of March. Get the booking code from @FairmontNewport or @FairmontHotels.3. @LandingsStLucia
Who thought you could get a great wedding deal on Twitter? This RockResort is putting its best foot forward with the “Twitter Bells” package, which you can find by following @LandingsStLucia. You can save up to 25 percent with rates starting at $564 a night for a six-night stay as part of your wedding getaway. Enjoy a ceremony on the beach with a decorated wedding arch, floral arrangements and a bouquet and boutonniere. Your wedding dinner will be prepared for by Executive Chef Richard Tonks, and you’ll eat it on your luxurious “Tweet Suite” terrace. You’ll also pick up breakfast and lunch daily and evening champagne turndown service. You’ll need to tie the knot by May 11, 2010.

4. @ArrabelleVail
Do you crave powder? The Arrabelle at Vail Square‘s “Sweet Tweet for Two” package will get you a two-night stay at a discount of up to 30 percent, if you follow @ArrabelleVail. You’ll be greeted with champagne, roses and chocolate covered strawberries, and during your stay, you’ll enjoy an 80-minute couples massage, a Tweethearts tubing session and breakfast every day. The package is available through the end of ski season (April 17, 2010), with rates starting at $465 a night.

Do you recline your seat on a flight?

by Willy Volk on

As you’re probably aware, some people think reclining a seat on a flight is a pretty much a crime, while others think it’s a blessing. Therefore, yesterday, we asked our Twitter followers a burning question:

Immediately, our wonderful (and vocal) followers burst forth with their thoughts, which ranged from absolute insistence to meek denial. Overnight, we let Gadling’s servers and mega-computers crunch the data, and now, we’re here to report our findings.In fact, it appears most people do, indeed, recline their seats on a flight. That’s probably not surprising, given how cramped many flights are … and the fact that the airplane seats come equipped with that functionality.

Forty-two percent of respondents said they recline their seats during a flight. The remaining responses were evenly split (twenty-nine percent each) between solidly refusing to recline and by admitting they may recline, but whether they would recline depended on a variety of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the responses.

Some people admitted (almost gleefully!) that they shoved their seats way back (though almost all admitted that meal time was not the time to recline).

Remind me not to sit behind these folks any time soon.

Others copped to reclining, but did so somewhat sheepishly.

Some folks claimed never to recline at all (and offered up tips on how to make it through long haul flights).

Thanks for the freebie, JohnFromJersey.

While others said they never reclined … except for in certain extenuating circumstances.

SarahMenkedick, that happens to me a lot, too.

Others felt The Seat Recline is a necessary thing to do — almost obligatory.

Not exactly sure how LauraBly considers that “self defense,” but she’s one of our favorite people, so we’ll let that pass.

Our favorite response, however, was from a Recliner Decliner, who almost certainly refuses to wear Members Only jackets any more, too.

And what do Gadling bloggers do?

If you’ve ever met Mike, you know he’s not making this up. Thanks to everyone who responded.

So which group do you fall into? Do you recline your seat on a flight?

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PS — you can follow all Gadling’s bloggers by clicking the button below. Do it. It’ll be fun!

Facebook “memology” report reveals non-travel bias?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Facebook has released its trend analysis of the top words appearing in status updates in 2009. Unlike the Twitter worldview, which had some terms that could be seen as travel-related, Facebook users appear to have spent more time at home. Sure, there’s the obligatory H1N1 mention, which impacted the travel-hungry throughout the year … but that’s it. What cements the seemingly sedentary characteristic of the Facebook addict this year is #13 on its “memology” report (meme = online slang for trend or fad) is “yard.”

We’ve all grown to loathe the coined word “staycation,” but as much as we try to ignore the word, the underlying tendency can’t be ignored. Just how the hell did “yard” come in at #13? It’s the antithesis of travel – of mobility, really – and drives home the notion that low fares and dirt-cheap hotel rooms weren’t enough to get us out of our own plots in 2009.

Facebook admits to some surprise at this meme on the list, saying, “This is a trend that nobody would have guessed.” Can’t get blunter than that, right?The social network’s blog post continues, “The word “yard” seems fairly uncommon, and indeed it barely breaches a rate of five mentions in every 10,000 status updates. When we compare 2009 to 2008, however, we see a huge increase.”

It’s possible, according to Facebook, that it’s a result of more “moms and dads” coming to Facebook and letting the world know via status updates that they are either working or spending time in the most suburban of land masses, as “these folks have yards that require some tending.”

Does this mean that Twitter users are younger? Or, just more active than their Facebook counterparts? Obviously, it’s impossible to say, but it’s a bit fun to guess. Of course, I cheated a bit with our interpretation of Twitter a few weeks ago, so the chasm isn’t as vast as I may have made it appear.

So, let’s try to change the situation in 2010. Link your Twitter account to your Facebook page and push your travel-related updates hard. Live tweet the hour you wait in line at the security checkpoint, or gripe about the lousy service you get from the airlines. Do something – do anything. Let’s change the face of social media … and put a travel mask on it!

[Photo by Kevin Prichard via Flickr]